# Accident 20191220019789A: Piper PA-32-260, Florida, MA, December 20, 2019

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 20, 2019, 18:00 local time
- Place: Florida, MA
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 42.6631° N, 73.0178° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.6631&lon=-73.0178&mi=10
- Aircraft: N4726S, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N4726S) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-32-260 (registry code 7103206, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-32-260) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-540 series (registry code 41532, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-540-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-32-260
- Reported engine: LYCOMING 0-540
- People aboard: 3
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 3
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 345 total, 50 in this make and model, 10 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA20LA057](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA20LA057) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20191220019789A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

ON DECEMBER 20, 2019, AT APPROXIMATELY 6PM EST, N4726S, A PIPER PA-32-260, S/N 32-1165 WAS TRAVELING FROM ISLIP, LONG ISLAND (ISP), NY TO RUTLAND, VERMONT (RUT). ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE NO. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS PILOTING THE AIRCRAFT WITH TWO PASSENGERS AND A CANINE. AS STATED BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, HIS FLIGHT STARTED AROUND 5 PM FROM ISLIP, NY WITH THE FUEL TANK SELECTOR IN THE RIGHT TANK INDICATOR POSITION AND APPROXIMATELY 84 GALLONS ONBOARD SPREAD OVER TWO INBOARD AND TWO OUTBOARD FUEL TANKS. MIDWAY THROUGH MASSACHUSETTS N4726S BEGAN EXPERIENCING A ROUGH RUNNING ENGINE, WHICH ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DISREGARDED AS NORMAL. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ CONTINUED THE FLIGHT WITHOUT PERFORMING ANY ENGINE OR FUEL CHECKS FOR THE ROUGH RUNNING ENGINE. UPON REACHING THE MASS/VT BOARDER THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A MAJOR LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATES HE CHECKED THROTTLE SETTING AND MIXTURE WHILE THE AIRCRAFT STARTED LOOSING ALTITUDE. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ALSO STATED HE ATTEMPTED TO PERFORM THE EMERGENCY PROCEDURES CHECKLIST BUT WAS DISTRACTED AND WAS OVERWHELMED FLYING THE PLANE AND TRYING TO FIND A PLACE TO LAND.

^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED HE CHOSE TO FLY THE AIRCRAFT RATHER THAN ADDRESS THE ROUGH RUNNING ENGINE AND EVENTUAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. RESPONDING TO THE LOSS OF POWER, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ RADIOED BOSTON ATC LOOKING FOR EMERGENCY INSTRUCTIONS AND DECLARING A PAN-PAN. BOSTON ATC RESPONDED GIVING INSTRUCTION TO CHECK THROTTLE POSITION, MIXTURE SETTINGS, CARBURATOR HEAT, BOOST PUMP, AND FUEL TANK SELECTION. STILL UNSUCCESSFULL IN RESTORING POWER TO N4726S, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ REQUESTED TO BE VECTORED TO THE NEAREST AIRPORT. BOSTON ATC INFORMED ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ OF TWO AIRPORTS IN THE AREA GIVING HEADING AND DISTANCE INFORMATION FOR BOTH. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ CHOSE TO VECTOR TO NORTH ADAMS, MA (AQW) PER ATC INSTRUCTIONS 8 MILES AWAY. N4726S WENT OFF RADAR AND CRASHED INTO A HEAVILY WOODED AREA APPROXIMATELY 1500 FT. FROM CHURCH ROAD, FLORIDA, MASSACHUSETTS. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED AND RESULTED IN TWO MINOR INJURIES AND ONE SERIOUS INJURY.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB ERA20LA057](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA20LA057), Dec 20, 2019: Piper PA32 (N4726S), Florida, MA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s fuel mismanagement during flight, resulting in a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation and a forced landing in a remote, wooded terrain.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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